People by Country Quiz: Great British Eccentrics | 10 Questions

Answer: Baron Berners

The fourteenth Baron Berners started eccentricity early in life. At the age of seven he decided that if you could teach a dog to swim then throwing one out of the window would teach it to fly. Fortunately his mother's dog, which was the subject of this experiment, was unhurt.

In later life he had a giraffe as a pet, dyed the pigeons on his country estate pink and blue, and affixed notices to trees stating that anyone throwing stones at the notices would be prosecuted. He died in 1950 aged 67.

Answer: He always dressed as a woman

Lord Cornbury decided that as he represented a woman it was only correct to dress as one. At the New York Assembly of 1702 he appeared wearing a blue silk gown and carrying a fan. His costumes became more and more elaborate and expensive, and his wife even had to resort to stealing his clothes as there was no money for new clothes for her. He returned to England in 1708, and continued to dress as a woman.

This story is confirmed by several sources, however, there is now a school of thought that says it is spurious.

Answer: That all babies are born with tails

Lord Monboddo was convinced that all babies are born with tails that the midwife cuts off. Despite being present at the birth of all three of his children he was never able to prove this theory. He also believed in the lifestyle of the Ancient Greeks, and refused to use anything modern. If they didn't have it neither did he.

Another quirk was that he refused to sit on the Bench with his fellow judges, instead sitting beneath the Bench with the Clerks of the Court.

Answer: Nude cycling

Whilst there are nude cycling events held in support of environmental issues Richard Collins, who has been cycling in the nude since 2002, does it because he is exercising his right to nude freedom. He says he has done over 500 nude miles in the Cambridge area on streets, country footpaths and cross country. He has been arrested several times.

Answer: The Dancing Marquess

By the time he died in 1905, aged only 30, Henry Paget had squandered almost half a billion pounds on costumes, jewellery and lavish entertainment. His nickname came from his love of performing snake like sensuous dances, which he did in front of astonished audiences around Europe. Dressed in flowing robes, with long hair highlighted by jewels, he could be seen walking around London with a snow white, pink ribboned, poddle under one arm.

Answer: William Heath Robinson

Heath Robinson was a conventionaly trained artist who made his living illustrating magazines and books, however, his mind imagined fantastic machines that were held together with string and elastic bands but still somehow looked as though they would work. His name has become synonomous with any piece of improvised machinery.

James Thurber drew little girls on fat ponies.
Ronald Searle is famous as the creator of "St Trinian's".
Harry Rountree drew beautiful animal pictures.

Answer: Went to bed for the next six months

Married in September the newly weds returned from honeymoon in October and Lord North went straight to bed. When he did not reappear his wife was astonished to learn from his manservant that he went to bed from October 9th to March 22nd every year. He even had a massive dining table installed in his bedroom so he could entertain guests from his bed.

His explanation was that no Lord North got out of bed during these months because an ancestor had lost the American Colonies.

Answer: Frank Buckland

Frank Buckland was the David Bellamy of his day. He made his living as an Inspector of Salmon Fisheries, but had a very inquisitive mind, a fascination with the natural world, and a strong stomach. He would try almost anything, including roast field mice, which he recorded as having a better flavour than house mice, elephants trunk soup, which was a disapppointment as it was too tough to eat even after being boiled for several days, and squirrel pie. On hearing that a panther had died at London Zoo he begged for it to be dug up so he could try panther chops.

He died in 1880 aged 54.

Answer: The Mole Man of Hackney

From the outside Mr Lyttle's Victorian home looks like any other in the street, however, underneath it is a network of tunnels and caverns, some as deep as 26ft, stretching for at least 20 metres in every direction. Mr Lyttle has been excavating underneath his house since the 1960's causing one road collapse, and once hitting a 450 volt cable which blacked out power to the entire street. Even the Council are not certain as to how many houses he has tunnelled under and whether or not their structural integrity is affected.

He started off with the intention of digging a wine cellar.

Answer: Baron de Rothschild

The 2nd Baron de Rothschild loved animals and had a large collection of them at his Buckinghamshire mansion. His carriage was drawn by four zebra, whilst his tame bear was known to slap women visitors on the backside. On one memorable occasion he gave a formal dinner for Lord Salisbury, and when the guests arrived at the table there was an empty place next to each of them. Twelve immaculately dressed monkeys then walked in and took their places next to the guests.